The Tree of Life Poster, Possibly Troubling U.K. Release Date

In America, we’re less than two months away from the release of Terrence Malick’s long-in-gestation The Tree of Life, which is due May 27. Cannes is supposed to get it before that to show as one of their premieres, but it seems the U.K. release patten might dampen that as (according to Empire) it’s supposedly getting the film on May 4. This U.K. release date coincides with the film’s second poster, which was provided by the IMDb. Take a look…

This is the sort of poster that tends to look better in a full size in a theater where each image can be considered. It does get across that this is an arty film, one that won’t offer movie star turns from leads Sean Penn or Brad Pitt. But this is the sort of film that its core audience doesn’t need a poster because it’s a new Terrence Malick. I don’t know how well this sells the films to people who don’t care.

As for the British release date, my guess is that gets fixed quickly. Though some films have come to Cannes after other festival screenings, they – like so many other festivals – want their exclusives, and England getting the film for two full weeks before it can show at the fest is not going to go over well. If the U.K. release date holds, then the film definitely won’t be in competition – which points out that whether it’s competing is still unknown.

That noted, it’s also unlikely that the director will show up. He didn’t show up for the Oscars, so it seems likely – especially since he’s in the midst of his next production – he won’t go for this. Or perhaps Cannes is something he respects, and maybe he needs to pay lip service to his financiers. If he goes, expect a number of new Terrence Malick pictures besides this one:

Who knew this film would develop this much drama?

Does the title The Tree of Life get Madonna’s Ray of Light stuck in your head as well?

Damon worked in the film business as a Film Buyer for a theater chain for many years, which gives him an interesting perspective on the numbers. He's written for Collider, Chud, Screencrush, The DVD Journal and Binaryflix online, and was published by The New York Times and Willamette Week, along with his college, high school and middle school papers.